Bread of Life Mission under fire for poor living conditions

PUNTA GORDA, Fla.- The Bread of Life Mission, home to dozens of people who say they have nowhere else to go, is under fire for poor living conditions.

“They’re citing me for extension cords, we found an extra septic tank that we didn’t know existed,” said Judy Jones, mission president.

Charlotte County inspectors say the homeless shelter has a number of zoning and electrical violations, with extension cords strewn about and sewage leaking from a septic tank. Jones says she doesn’t have the money to fix the issues.

“I’m the dumpster for the whole world. Everybody drop off people here, they send them here in taxi cabs, they bring them here and boom, here I am stuck with all these violations,” said Jones.

Bread of Life Mission resident Jamery Kibbee says everyone is pitching in to fix the violations.

“We all pick up the trash around here daily, we make sure it looks neat for when the donors come in to actually give us the financial support and all the clothes, furniture, food that they donate,” said Kibbee.

Charlotte County says the homeless shelter has had almost half a dozen violations over the last decade, but officials are not looking to close the mission’s doors. They just want the facility to be a safe and sanitary environment for people to live in.